Automatic fire extinguishing system

ABSTRACT

House or building, consisting of an open framework of metal (steel) with vertical columns and horizontal girders or supporting beams for providing horizontal bearing surfaces with one or more three-dimensional building modules, attached to said bearing surfaces, said framework especially consisting of metal (steel) box columns and metal (steel) profile girders provided with an automatic fire extinguishing system with nozzles or jets connected to a conduit for extinguishing fluid or material and arranged in such a way, that said columns and/or girders are kept wet in working condition of said nozzles or jets.

United States Patent {19] Aris l AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM [75I Inventor: David .lacohus Bernard Aris. The

Hague. Netherlands {73] Assignee: F0kker-V.F.W. N.V..Schiphol-Oost.

Netherlands [22] Filed: Nov. I4, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.3 415,723

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-inmart of Ser. No. 192.0l0. Oct. 26.

I971 tihandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan l l. |97l Netherlands 7 HD0249 US. Cl .i 239/209; [69/54 Int. Cl 4 i i i i i i i B05n 15/06 Field of Search 4 239/208 209; l69/54; 52/1, 98. I68. 232

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 l)50.l34 l' /l962 Multin 239/209 Apr. 8, 1975 3.208534 9/l965 Kazarian 169/54 3.464 |72 9/1969 McGee. Jr, 239/209 3520.345 7/1970 Lillibridge et al. .4 239/209 3.539.108 ll/l970 Lillihridge 239/209 Primary Exunu'ner- Lloyd L King Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Snyder. Brown and Ramik [57] ABSTRACT House or building. consisting of an open framework of metal (steel) with vertical columns and horizontal girders or supporting beams for providing horizontal bearing surfaces with one or more three-dimensional building modules attached to said bearing surfaces said framework especially consisting of metal (steel) box columns and metal (steel) profile girders provided with an automatic fire extinguishing system with nozzles or jets connected to a conduit for extinguishing fluid or material and arranged in such a way that said columns and/or girders are kept wet in working condition of said nozzles or jets 11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PQTENTED APR 8 i975 SHEET 1 [IF 2 AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM This application is a continuation in part application of US. patent application Ser. No. 192.010 filed Oct. 26, 197 I, now abandoned claiming the priority of Dutch Patent application No. 71.00249 of Jan. ll. 1971 under 35USCl l9.

The invention relates to a house or building. consisting of an open framework of metal (steel) with vertical columns and horizontal girders or supporting beams for providing horizontal bearing surfaces with one or more three-dimensional building modules. attached to said bearing surfaces, said framework especially consisting of metal (steel) box columns and metal (steel) profile girders. Such a building is specified in French Patent Specification No. 9 I 9.598. The object of the invention is an improvement of this building in order to reduce as much as possible the danger for the building when fire occurs The building according to the invention is characterised by an automatic fire extinguishing system with nozzles or jets connected to a conduit for extinguishing fluid or material and arranged in such a way that said columns and/or girders are kept wet in working condi tion of said nozzles or jets. In this way the advantage is obtained. that when fire occurs in the building the rigidity of the open framework may be maintained during a considerable time. thus enabling the fire brigade to extinguish the fire. A time interval of l or 2 hours should be considered as sufficient for maintaining the rigidity of the framework. A further advantage consists in that extinguishing water is kept outside the building modules.

The building according to the invention may be provided with a smoke detector. opening a valve in said extinguishing conduit in the presence of smoke for supplying water to said nozzles.

The building according to the invention shows by using such a valve the advantage. that under normal circumstances the extinguishing conduit or pipe line do not contain water and therefore are not liable to frost damage. When fire occurs with an open air tempera ture below C and water is supplied to the conduit this water has owing to the arrangement of the main conduit on a sufficient depth below ground level such a temperature that the water will not be frozen when supplied to the nozzles. In order to supply extinguishing water only to places with an increased temperature, that means in the vicinity of the seat of the tire, it is advisable to use water nozzles provided with fusible plugs. After opening said valve when smoke is detected water is only supplied to the framework by nozzles, the fusible plugs of which are in the vicinity of the fire and which have melted; in this way damage by extinguishing water is limited as much as possible. Further the ef feet is obtained. that water flows only through the supply line to nozzles in open condition so that gas or air may escape. In this way the water follows the shortest path between the valve and the open nozzle(s).

The building according to the invention may be provided with nozzles, arranged in the vicinity ofjunctions ofthe framework for providing a water curtain between adjoining modules. Such a water curtain wets said columns and girders and forms a water separation between adjoining building modules.

The working condition of the nozzles may be controlled continuously by supplying permanently to the extinguishing conduit a gas under pressure. such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, said conduit being provided with a valve for supplying water to said nozzles, said valve being opened for supplying water when after melting of one or more fusible plugs the gas pressure decreases. In this case a separate smoke detector may be omitted. This last arrangement is preferably characterised by a normal gas pressure. exceeding the water pressure in said conduit, to which said valve is con nected. This forms a safety measure against water leakage of the valve.

The invention will be explained further by means of the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 give an isometric view of two embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the nozzles;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the building structure. and

FIGS is a diagram indicating certain aspects of the system.

The open framework of the building according to the drawings is built up from hollow steel columns I with a square, rectangular or circular cross section. These columns are interconnected by steel girders or supporting beams 2 with between adjoining beams 2 horizontal girders 3 for providing horizontal bearing surfaces for the attachment of three dimensional building modules 4. According to FIG. 1 the building is provided with an automatic fire extinguishing system with nozzles N connected to an extinguishing conduit 5. The conduit 5 is connected to horizontal branches 6 also provided with nozzles N. These horizontal branches 6 may be arranged below or above the beams or girders to be protected. In the last arrangement the conduit 6 with downwardly and/or upwardly directed nozzles is arranged immediately above the beams or girders to be protected or under a higher situated beam 2, e.g. a supporting beam as in FIG. 3. By means of said nozzles N the beams 2 and the columns 1 may be kept in a wet condition. A part of the brances 6 may be arranged around junctions 7 of the framework and provided with a number of nozzles N directed to said junctions 7 in order to keep the column 1 under this junction in a wet condition as in shown in FIG. 4. In the embodiment according to the drawings the upper sections of the columns support the roof and in some cases it is not necessary to keep these sections in a wet condition. In the case of buildings with three of more floors the vertical conduit 5 may be elongated up to above the last but one floor in order to keep the beams and/or columns below the top floor in a wet condition. It will be evident, that it is also possible to arrange the fire extinguishing system in such a way that the girders 3 are kept in a wet condition.

As shown in FIG. 5, the vertical conduit 5 is connected to the water main conduit 23 through a valve 8. This conduit 23 and the valve 8 are positioned so far under the ground surface 24 that water contained therein will not come at freezing point. Normally the valve 8 is in the closed condition and becomes automatically opened by means of at least one smoke detector D positioned in the building in order to supply water to the nozzles N. When said nozzles N are provided with fusible plugs P only those nozzles which are in the vicinity of fire come in the working condition. This feature limits damage by extinguihsing water and decreases the time interval between opening the valve and supplying water to the framework by open nozzles. By using nozzles with fusible plugs another way of controlling the valve 8 may be possible. In this case the extinguishing conduits 5, 6 connected to the valve 8 may be connected to a source of gas under pressure. e.g. a high pressure container C with nitrogen or carbon dioxide (see HO. 5). Between this container C and the fire extinguishing conduit 6 a throttle element T is arranged in such a way that by fusing a fusible plug P the gas flowing out ofthe nozzle N in question causes a consid erable decrease of pressure in the conduit 5. Under the influence of this decrease of the pressure. a pressure detector PD may control the operating mechanism of the valve 8 for permanently opening the valve 8 in order to supply water to open nozzles N. Of course after a fire has been extinguished the valve 8 should be brought back in the closed condition and all water contained in the conduit and the conduits 6 and 7 is drained off through an opened valve 24 in order to have the conduits, which are positioned above the ground level and in open air. empty, so that water will not freeze therein.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 shows a fire extinguishing conduit with sections 10 provided with nozzles N along all lower columns I. These columns 1 may be kept wet when fire occurs by means of said nozzles N. In the vicinity ofthe ends of the supporting beams 2 the conduit sections it) are provided with special nozzles N for generating a water curtain in order to keep the supporting beams 2 in a wet condition, such a water curtain also separating adjoining building modules 4. The nozzles N each consist of a tube communicating with a tube 6 when a fusible plug P is fusing. Said tube 20 having apertures 21 divided over its length and directed to the beams 2. The supply conduits 11 for the sections 10 are connected to the main water conduit 23 through a valve 8. said valve being controlled in a similar way as in the first embodiment. This means that this valve 8 may be controlled by a smoke detector D. or by a pressure sensitive detector PD under the influence of a decrease of the gas pressure.

Certain parts of the fire extinguishing conduit may consist of plastic with low melting point. water supply openings or nozzles being obtained by melting under influence of fire.

What I claim is:

1. House or building. consisting of an open framework of metal with vertical columns and horizontal girders of supporting beams for providing horizontal bearing surfaces with one or more three-dimensional building modules disposed within the confines of said columns and girders and attached to said bearing surfaces so that said framework is exposed to ambient atmosphere. said framework especially consisting of metal box columns and metal profile girders. and an automatic fire extinguishing fluid or material and arranged in such a way. that said columns and/or girders are kept wet in working condition of said nozzles or jets.

2. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 1, including a smoke detector. opening a valve in said extinguishing conduit in the presence of smoke for supplying water to said nozzles.

3. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 1 including water nozzles provided with fusible plugs.

4. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 1. including nozzles. arranged in the vicinity ofjunctions of the framework for providing a water curtain between adjoining modules.

5. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 3. wherein the extinguishing conduit is pressured by means of a gas. preferably nitrogen or carbon dioxide. and provided with a valve for supplying water to opened nozzles. the opening of said valve following the decrease of the gas pressure. owing to the fusing of one or more of said fusible plugs.

6. In a house or building construction. the combination of:

an open structural framework assembly comprising vertical metal columns and horizontal metal girders interconnecting said columns to define at least one open rectangular space;

a building module supported by said framework within said rectangular space; and

automatic fire extinguishing means disposed exteriorly of said module for directing extinguishing liquid against said framework to preserve the structural integrity thereof.

7. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said automatic fire extinguishing means comprises a conduit system running along said columns and girders. said conduit system being pro vided with nozzles directed toward said framework.

8. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 7 including a normally closed valve in said conduit system for selectively supplying said nozzles with fire extinguishing liquid and smoke detector means for opening said valve.

9. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 7 including a normally closed valve in said conduit system for supplying said nozzles with fire extinguishing liquid. means for pressurizing said conduit system downstream of said valve with a quantity of non combustible gas. said conduit system having a heat fusible plug for allowing said gas to escape. and said valve being opened in response to reduction in pressure of said gas.

10. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 7 wherein said conduit system extends around the junctures of said columns and girders and there being nozzles directed to such junctures.

11. in a house or building construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said framework presents a series of open rectangular spaces and each of said spaces receives a building module. said automatic fire extinguishing means including nozzles for directing fire extinguishing liquid against said girders and between adjacent modules. 

1. House or building, consisting of an open framework of metal with vertical columns and horizontal girders of supporting beams for providing horizontal bearing surfaces with one or more threedimensional building modules disposed within the confines of said columns and girders and attached to said bearing surfaces so that said framework is exposed to ambient atmosphere, said framework especially consisting of metal box columns and metal profile girders, and an automatic fire extinguishing fluid or material and arranged in such a way, that said columns and/or girders are kept wet in working condition of said nozzles or jets.
 2. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 1, including a smoke detector, opening a valve in said extinguishing conduit in the presence of smoke for supplying water to said nozzles.
 3. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 1 including water nozzles provided with fusible plugs.
 4. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 1, including nozzles, arranged in the vicinity of junctions of the framework for providing a water curtain between adjoining modules.
 5. House or building with a fire extinguishing system according to claim 3, wherein the extinguishing conduit is pressured by means of a gas, preferably nitrogen or carbon dioxide, and provided with a valve for supplying water to opened nozzles, the opening of said valve following the decrease of the gas pressure, owing to the fusing of one or more of said fusible plugs.
 6. In a house or building construction, the combination of: an open structural framework assembly comprising vertical metal columns and horizontal metal girders interconnecting said columns to define at least one open rectangular space; a building module supported by said framework within said rectangular space; and automatic fire extinguishing means disposed exteriorly of said module for directing extinguishing liquid against said framework to preserve the structural integrity thereof.
 7. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said automatic fire extinguishing means comprises a conduit system running along said columns and girders, said conduit system being provided with nozzles directed toward said framework.
 8. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 7 including a normally closed valve in said conduit system for selectively supplying said nozzles with fire extinguishing liquid and smoke detector means for opening said valve.
 9. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 7 including a normally closed valve in said conduit system for supplying said nozzles with fire extinguishing liquid, means for pressurizing said conduit system downstream of said valve with a quantity of noncombustible gas, said conduit system having a heat fusible plug for allowing said gas to escape, and said valve being opened in response to reduction in pressure of said gas.
 10. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 7 wherein said conduit system extends around the junctures of said columns and girders and there being nozzles directed to such junctures.
 11. In a house or building construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said framework presents a series of open rectangular spaces and each of said spaces receives a building module, said automatic fire extinguishing means including nozzles for directing fire extinguishing liquid against said girders and between adjacent modules. 